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9. You Must Have a Genuine Faith in the Practical God

These days, there are many people who believe in the incarnate God. And there are more and more of these people. However, this is how God reveals man’s faith in Him: “Outwardly, you all appear to be very obedient to this Christ on earth, yet in substance you neither have faith in Him nor love Him. What I mean is that the one you truly have faith in is that vague God in your feelings, and the one you truly love is the God you yearn for night and day, yet have never seen in person. As for this Christ, your faith is merely fractional, and your love for Him is nothing. Faith means belief and trust; love means adoration and admiration in the heart, never parting. Yet your faith in and love of the Christ of today fall far short of this. When it comes to faith, how do you have faith in Him? When it comes to love, in what way do you love Him? You have simply no understanding of His disposition, still less do you know His substance, so how do you have faith in Him? Where is the reality of your faith in Him? How do you love Him? Where is the reality of your love for Him?” With these words, God completely reveals the marrows of people’s bones. We have nothing else that we can say. Perhaps there are some people who do not quite understand why our faith in the practical God is only fractional and our love for Him is nothing. This problem is quite simple. The main reason is, “You have simply no understanding of His disposition, still less do you know His substance.” So how can one have genuine faith and love for God?

From an external perspective, people follow God without hesitation. Even though they experienced persecution and tribulations, until this day, they have not left. However, the relationship between man and God is in complete shambles and quite terrible. There are not even a few people who are truly compatible with God. There are not even a few people who are after God’s heart. This is because the majority of people still have notions one after another. They do not have a genuine obedience and devotion to God. It is clear that people do not have an understanding of God, God’s disposition and God’s essence. From these points, the following conclusion can be reached: “As opposed to saying that you have faith in Me, it would be more apt to say that you are all trying to curry My favor and fawn over Me. Your motives are very simple—whosoever can reward me I shall follow, and whosoever can enable me to escape the great disasters I shall believe in, whether he be God or any certain God. None of this is of any concern to me. There are many such men among you, and this condition is very serious.” This is the greatest impurity people have today with their faith in the practical God. People do not leave God because they have these motives and intentions and not because they understand the essence of Christ and genuinely believe in and follow Him. This is a most pitiful condition of man.

From the words of God that make known man’s condition, we can see how terrible man’s relationship with God is. It is almost out of the question to have a relationship based on genuine faith and love. The main reason is that people have another God in their hearts that is vague and cannot be seen. As it turns out, this is the God that people believe in and serve. This has brought about the result that today, they place the practical God to one side. This is the greatest obstacle between people and the practical God. Therefore, disposing of this vague God from people’s hearts is of vital importance and demands immediate action.

Since man has this vague God in his heart, it has affected his normal relationship with the practical God. It seriously obstructs the understanding of the practical God’s essence and disposition and it delays man’s life disposition change. In the past, God was a Spirit. Today, God has become a man. The Word has appeared in the flesh. We must fix our attention and gaze upon the incarnate God. Every word that comes from God’s mouth shall prevail as the principle in all we do. We must absolutely obey God and be devoted to God. Man cannot just believe in the Spirit and acknowledge the Word yet neglect the flesh. Even though this is an improvement from believing in a vague God, it will not allow you to achieve the results of God’s work. Only those who face the facts and resolve every obstacle that stands between man and God can achieve an understanding of God, have a change in their disposition and be compatible with God. Linking God’s Spirit and the words of God today yet placing the incarnate flesh to one side is an even more serious offense to God. The Spirit, the Word and the Person are one being. This is the meaning of the incarnation. If man’s faith separates God, isn’t this faith actually resisting God? Even if man puts more energy in this kind of faith, it cannot take the place of an understanding of Christ’s disposition and essence. Moreover, it cannot take the place of a change in man’s disposition and being compatible with God. This kind of faith will never result in understanding God. During the age of the incarnate God, the work of the Holy Spirit mainly protects the incarnate God’s work. God detests man having even a little bit of a place for this vague God in his heart. God is a holy God. He is a God who hates evil. He definitely does not allow the existence of a place in man’s heart for this vague God.

The faith that man has for the practical God must be built upon the foundation of a genuine understanding of Christ’s essence. Even though Christ has a normal humanity, it does not influence at all His divine essence, the essence of the Spirit. Regardless of how normal His humanity is, the essence of the Spirit (which is the divinity) functions and expresses Himself when He ought to. This basically does not prevent man from understanding Him. If man observes in detail His words, actions, it would not be hard to see that within there is what His divinity is, especially Christ’s patience, perseverance and calmness are not possessed by any man. From start to finish, when Christ fulfills His ministry, He never boasts about His own status. Anybody who has come into contact with Him before can acknowledge this fact. Christ does His work in such a humble and hidden way. He never shows Himself off. The most amazing thing is that anybody who has come into contact with Him before has never heard Him say “I am God….” He has never revealed a bit of arrogance, conceit and self-pride. We should be ashamed that we have in fact revealed a lot of these things. Man cannot compare with Him. He is the incarnation of God’s Spirit and completely originates from the Spirit. This is best verified by that fact. I am completely convinced. Even though we have experienced so much judgment and chastisement, until now we still have corruption to reveal. However, I have found none within Him. He is indeed sinless. God is holy. What the Holy Spirit bears witness to is completely accurate. God is what people can believe in and rely on the most. Aside from the fact that the work He does is not supernatural and not miraculous, there are many things that He possesses that man does not. Aside from what His normal humanity has and is, there is also what His divinity has and is. Furthermore, He does not possess at all the arrogance and corruption that man has. I see this as miraculous. It’s just that man has not discovered this. All this illustrates that Christ’s essence is the essence of the Spirit. He has humanity and He has divinity. The truth, the way, and the life all exist within Him and originate from Him. Once man has some understanding of Christ’s divine essence, he will feel deeply within his heart how awesome God is. He will feel fear and tremble as he does his duties. He can feel in his heart that God looks upon everything, that God cannot be fooled. He will pray to God in all matters. Only then will he have entered onto the right track of faith in God. If you do not have an understanding of Christ’s essence (divinity), you have not entered onto the right track.

This is the practical God that we believe in today. He is a God that we can see, feel and follow. It can be said that He is the easiest to believe in. He does His work according to man’s realistic needs. He provides us at the right time. From time to time, He expresses His words. We believe very contently. It is very joyous! It is 100 times better than believing in a vague God. 10,000 times better! We have already experienced so abundantly that we simply cannot contain it. As long as man obeys God, is willing to accept the truth and put the truth into practice, he will be perfected by God. Those that do not love the truth and engage in honest work are demons. Of course they will be revealed and eliminated. This is a natural law. Each stage of God’s work is like this.

Just how should the practical God be believed in? The process of believing in God is also the process of understanding God. The more you understand God, the easier it is to obey and love God. In the past, people often had notions because they were full of notions when they were in various sects and denominations. Furthermore, they had a nature of disobeying God and became the enemy of Christ. If you have an understanding of Christ’s divine essence, you will be able to have a genuine faith and you will no longer have so many notions. If you do not have a genuine understanding of Christ’s essence, then you will naturally have many notions. Some people even have doubts and conjectures about Christ. These lowly people often think that a gentleman is as mean as themselves. This is a type of faith that God does not acknowledge. Naturally, these people do not count in the eyes of God. They are targets that will be eliminated.

All those who do not love all the truth that Christ expresses are fake believers and unbelievers. They definitely love something else and they are filled with notions. They like vague and empty doctrines. They are the most absurd and vain of daydreamers. They are really antichrists and they must be punished by God. Now, what are the manifestations of a genuine faith in the practical God?

First, in order to have a genuine faith in the practical God, one must completely obey all of God’s judgment and chastisement. The more severe and intense the judgment, and the more painful the chastisement, the more that you must bear them. Actually, no matter whether man can endure God’s judgment and chastisement, God is still absolutely righteous. The words that God expresses are the absolute truth. This is a fact that can never be altered. Man will be convinced sooner or later. Additionally, one must accept God’s dealing and pruning. This is also something that is absolutely necessary. This way of practice is very beneficial to the changing of man’s disposition, the practice of the truth and the fulfilling of his duties. It can be said that without dealing and pruning, man would not be able to achieve the requirements through the fulfillment of his duties.

Secondly, in order to have a genuine faith in the practical God, one must believe firmly that only Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. Aside from Christ, no other person is the truth, the way, and the life. No matter how well someone speaks or how great their theories are, all they can do is deceive people. They are not able to save man at all. Regardless of what kind of person they are, if they leave Christ or if they abandon Christ, they will perish. Regardless of how many notions man has of Christ, it does not influence at all the fact that Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. It does not stain Christ at all. Resisting and convicting Christ inevitably leads to one sinking into oblivion. Christ is incarnate God. Christ is also a man. Those who firmly believe in Christ will be saved. All those who believe in the God in heaven but do not submit to Christ are the silliest of people. They will definitely be eliminated and feel deep shame.

If one has a genuine faith in the practical God, they can treat God as God. They are able to worship God normally and give their hearts to God. They can pray to God daily, grow close to God, work hard at reading God’s word, be quiet before God, accept God’s examination, satisfy God in all matters, put God first in their hearts, concern themselves about God’s matters, fulfill all aspects of their duties and become a pious person that worships God. Worshiping the practical God means that one does it facing Christ. They do not have a hint of a vague religion, pray to Christ, give their hearts to Christ and keep quiet before Christ. They raise their hand toward Christ and make a vow and obey absolutely before Christ. All of this is involved in genuinely worshiping the practical God. If what one prays to is a vague God or another God, then they are blaspheming the practical God. Only exalting the practical God is treating the practical God as God.

If one has a genuine faith in the practical God, they can certainly give all of themselves into God’s hands and allow God to be in control. Regardless of how God treats them, they do not complain. Regardless of what environment they are in, they can rely on God, and do not become negative and weak. They can seek God’s intentions, abandon their desire to obtain blessings and do not focus on their individual prospects. No matter how much they suffer they do not abandon their pursuit of God. They do not feel regret no matter how much they have lost due to their faith in God. They take pleasure in understanding God and obtaining the truth. They take enjoyment in fulfilling their duties well and satisfying God. This is the purest kind of faith.

If one has a genuine faith in the practical God, they are surely able to love God, be considerate of God’s intentions at all times, be anxious about what God is anxious about, consider what God considers and be of one mind with God. They seek God’s intentions in all matters, try to satisfy God and do their utmost to cooperate with God’s work. They seek an understanding of God so that they can achieve a change in their disposition, be compatible with God and become someone who is after God’s heart. This is man’s goal to pursue. This type of practice is most capable of comforting God’s heart.

In order to have a genuine faith in the practical God, you should offer yourself entirely to God and make an effort for God. Do your utmost to exalt God and bear witness to God. Disregard individual loss or gain and safety, see the work of God’s family as the most important thing. Obey God’s arrangements and be devoted to God’s work of expansion until the very end. Offer your true heart to God. Do not obtain a few people and think of it as a great contribution. Do not start to be greedy for rewards or start to enjoy yourself. Do not think that you yourself are qualified and that you are doing amazing. Do not think that nobody has the right to interfere with your enjoyment. Those who are truly rational would not do such shameful things. Those who have a genuine faith in God always believe that they owe God a lot. They feel that the salvation they receive is too great and that they will never be able to repay the love that God has for them in their lifetime. Therefore, they always focus on their own deep entrance into the truth. They try to understand their own ugly and repulsive soul and seek a change in their disposition. They are careful not to disobey and harm God’s heart again or to do something despicable that would cause Satan to sneer at them. Those with a genuine and sincere faith in the practical God do not have any doubts or suspicions about God. Moreover, they do not try to deceive God. Even though there are times where they disobey God, have their own notions or are just going through the motions when they are fulfilling their duties, they are able to pursue the truth and obtain an understanding of themselves. From this, they can change themselves and begin anew. They can replace all their previous transgressions with putting the truth into practice and gradually fulfill God’s requirements.

The most important point when it comes to having a genuine faith in the practical God is that one must believe that there is only one God. The one true God has already incarnated into the practical God. Aside from Almighty God whose Spirit moves through the entire universe, there is no other God. The practical God includes the flesh, the Word and the Spirit. He is called Almighty God. His flesh speaks and does work, and His Spirit moves throughout the entire universe and rules over everything. There is only one God that can do this. We must not divide God up into several parts. That is a manifestation of blaspheming God. What we believe in is Almighty God. He is the incarnate practical God. His Spirit embraces universally and rules over everything. Man should have an understanding of this. These days, aside from the words and work of Almighty God, nobody else anywhere can make another start. Believe that God’s word is never wrong. Some people believe that God’s Spirit is the God in heaven. They believe that the flesh that speaks and works is the God on earth. Actually, there is only one God. God incarnate speaks and does work on earth. He can be seen and felt and He is called the practical God. His Spirit moves throughout the entire universe. We cannot see His Spirit, who is called the God in heaven. In brief, it is the actions of one God. One Spirit does this work. It is laughable and beyond belief that people divide God up as a God who is in heaven and a God who is on earth. They also divide Him up as one who is incarnate and does work and a Spirit that does work. This is repeating the disastrous policy of the religious world that sees God as a trinity and causes God to be angry. Why don’t we have a simple faith? When Jesus came, we believed in Jesus. Today, Almighty God has come, so let us believe in Almighty God. He is both man and God. He does work on earth and He also moves across the entire universe. In brief, this is all one God. That is why we should face Christ and pray in this way: “Oh, Almighty God, You are flesh and You are Spirit. You are on earth and You are in heaven. You move across the entire universe and You rule over everything. You are Almighty God and I worship You.” The Almighty God that we believe in is the one true God. There is no other God but Him. This is the foundation of believing in God. Once you resolve this point, your understanding of God will grow deeper and you will have achieved a genuine faith. If you have a genuine faith in God, your faith will naturally be steadfast and realistic. You will have the will to seek and you will be willing to seek an understanding of God, a deeper understanding of the truth, a change in your disposition, a genuine love for God and an absolute obedience of God. You will even be willing to devotedly follow God until your death. This kind of faith is definitely acceptable to God and will be blessed by God. All those who do not have a genuine faith in God will naturally be muddleheaded. The result is that they will be a total failure and they will be eliminated by God. Even though right now, there is a gap between people’s faith and genuine faith, but as long as you can understand Christ’s essence and God’s disposition you will be able to achieve the criterion of a genuine faith. If you can resolve all your notions about God, eliminate all the obstacles standing between you and an understanding of God, and achieve a normal relationship with God, then you will definitely find success in your faith. God incarnating and doing the work of salvation is precisely a good opportunity for you to understand God. If you do not seek an understanding of God in your faith, then you will have a muddled faith. If you believe to the end and are still unable to understand God and be compatible with God, then you have failed as a believer of God. Only through seeking an understanding of God will you be saved. Only through seeking an understanding of God will you be able to obtain the truth and life. If you do not seek an understanding of God, you will be a complete failure and you will never be able to have a genuine faith in God nor will your obedience be absolute.